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4/19/2013 11:10AM

Seib & Wessel: Crushing Defeat for Gun Control

WSJ reporter Kristina Peterson says the effort to expand background checks on gun sales seemed to have a chance in the Senate but then died on the vine. Is this the end of the road for gun control advocates?

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

the ... so ... a social issue that was going on in Congress in a while ... gun control ... came out this week and it probably died in the Senate and I think that was not the outcome anybody with predicted ... even a month ago assuming a three months ago after Newtown Connecticut ... compare with comparable lot more momentum earlier on even as recent as last week land founder Pat Toomey reached this bipartisan agreement with Joe Manchin ... you looks like ... it was that there really might ... something might happen to to crack the code on background checks right is a tough nut to crack right that have emerged as the only possibly area that you you really might see something happen on a bipartisan ... I'm ... and that person away and then get two centers Kim Allen and nothing granted there would not a big scary to ... support its ... not even really a whole lot of that ... allowed defiant opposition at the time ... to start entitlement line yet ... and ... into ... two main choices we can't motions were broader today ... after that ... and they were before the ... twenty oh ... I ... was just so much anger from people yesterday Dave cling to these polls that show some ninety percent of people support broader background Tax ... and you see yet the victims and ... relatives of the Newtown victims flooding the capital for the past two weeks from Representative Gabby Giffords and her husband making trips ... and so you have this emotional buildup ... and then to serve a crushing defeat in a mandatory this ... sport is right that it is a kind of a super majority that they needed says this is popping the question now is vanity isn't really dead um or is there a second life and you know that ... that they're going to the Senate Harry Reid is maneuvered so that he can park this for awhile ... and then bring it back ... if there's a reason to bring it back I'm not clear to know the circumstances are the creates reason ring impact of ... what ... I'll what a caring friend Abe is that if there is public outcry and possibly aided and abetted by President Obama who has the best conditioned to ... to make this a good cause if you see a huge backlash for the next month ... maybe bank in ... the Senate ... good enough reason to take a back up and they did take specific procedural steps so that that is out there and an available option to them ... not to say I'm skeptical because if you if you think about support for gun control is having a hero to meet and having faded to about here now ... I'll pay you get it back up to that level ... absent something like new gym that couldn't get the more complete account but it was interesting to me this is what the present day yesterday we so angry seemingly so angry about it if you if you think that when you sell weapons ban expired ... that guy with a whimper ... Democrats there's been a we've gone through periods hundred Democrats and largely willing to let this issue ... die a quiet death for their own political preservation or success ... I do feel like in my mind was when shares his art Democrats now saying that they are willing to ... possibly Nov suffer other defeats in order to keep pressing issue because they think the issue is right politically for now ... that ... to me the biggest impediment to getting that ... much with such an awesome helper while has been Democratic opposition not ... really Republican ... write these things are all connected into the price of gas is the foreign immigration line or not when it cast a tough vote on guns are gay marriage and that's the way the world works in the center and center Grant announced that St ... are you only have so much energy today and so many reversals your constituents ... and a gun of Ardi Khan down once ... I you know use of cleaner energy defending a change on that when you also have ... immigration can say they expect